Genetic variation within the glycoprotein B and H genes of human cytomegalovirus in solid organ transplant recipients

: This study was performed to investigate human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and genetic variations within glycoprotein B (gB) and H (gH) genes in Chinese transplant recipients. A total of 245 ethylene‐diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA)‐treated blood samples were obtained from 79 transplant recipients in southeast China. Based on the sequences of highly variable regions of the gB endoprotease cleavage site (gBclv), N‐terminus of gp116 (gBn), and the gH N‐terminus (gH), nested polymerase chain reaction assays for the detection of HCMV were established. Nucleotide sequencing was employed to differentiate gB and gH genotypes. Twenty‐six of 79 (32.9%) transplant recipients were proved HCMV positive. The distribution of genotypes was gBclv1, 12/25; gBclv2, 3/25; gBclv3, 4/25; gBn1, 6/23; gBn2, 2/23; gBn3, 11/23; and no gBclv/n 4‐related genotypes were presented. The distribution of gH genotypes was gH1, 11/26; gH2, 9/26; and co‐infected with both gH1/2 in 6/26. These data show that genetic variability within the gB genes occurs frequently. Mixtures of gB and gH genotypes infection were common in Chinese solid organ transplant recipients.